Lamp for vehicles.



T. L. GRIFFITHS.

LAMP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20,I9I4.

1,1 5&0? Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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THOMAS LEONARD GRIFFITHS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

LAMP FOR VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be .it known that I, THOMAS LEONARD GRIFFITHS, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 102 Bradford street, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lamps for- Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to lampsforvehicles and more especially to side lamps for motor vehicles. Such lamps as usually made are fitted either to the mud guard or to the side or front of the dashboard, and the rays of light are only directed forward along the road to be traveled. Now' when passing objects at night it is of great importance that the driver of a vehicle should be able correctly to judge the distance between the side of his own vehicle and the object to be passed, and for this purpose it is desirable that the side light should have a wide ray in the horizontal plane extending well around to the side of the vehicle. At the sametime ings the lamp is constructed in two parts,

the back part 1 being semi-spherical in shape and preferably itself serving to form a semi-spherical reflector. The front part 2 is also preferably semi-spherical in shape with an opening provided of suitable form for receiving the Fresnel lens 3. The two parts are flanged and united by means of a ring 4 of U-section surrounding and inclosing the flanges 5, 6 and adapted to be tightsary to have right-hand and left-hand lamps it is useless to waste the light by allowing it to spread widely in the vertical plane.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient lamp fulfilling the requirements set forth above.

A further object is to provide a compact lamp which may be used upon either side of' the vehicle, the light in each case spreading more to the outside than the front of the road and the front part of the lamp remaining the same way up.

A further object is to provide a compact lamp which may be similarly used upon either side of the vehicle and may be attached either to a vertical or horizontal surface. I

The nature of my invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the ac companying drawings forming part of this specification and the accompanying claiming clauses.

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of lamp made in accordance with this invention adapted for use attached to a horizontal surface on either side of the car the dotted lines representing the position assumed by the attachment fitting when the back-part is turned through 180 relatively to the front part. Fig. 2 is a face view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section.

In carrying my invention into practice as illustarted upon the accompanying drawconstructed separately, they are in this form of my invention interchangeable for it is only necessary to fix the back part of the lamp to the car on whichever side it is required, and either way up, since it is semispherical and perfectly symmetrical, and then to'slacken the fastening ring and to twist the front portion if necessary relative to the back until it occupies the desired position as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1 when the fastening ring may be tightened up. This further convenience in lamps made in accordance with my invention is particularly applicable to electric lamps; as illustrated a flexible cord passes to the fitting 11 to convey current to the lamp bulb 12 and may be attached to suitable fittings on either side of the car. Clearly however the invention is not confined to lamps of any particular form but'is generally applicable to side lamps or the like for vehicles.

The combination of the semi-spherical-re- -flector with the Fresnel lens is particularly -suitable in that the light. isthrown back by the reflector through the center of the source of light, (supposing the same to be situated at the center of the sphere) and in this manner a concentrated ray is produced, spreading through as wide an angle as may be desired in the horizontalplane, the beams from the two side or head lamps preferably intermingling and giving a light of double intensity immediately in front of the car, and of single intensity around to the side as hereinbefore described, while at the Specification of Letters Patent. Patrgnted Sept, "Z, 1915 Application filed April 20, 1914. Serial No. 833,132. H I

of a spherical lamp body comprising a front and a rear portion a source of light carried upon saidffront portion means permitting a relative rotatibn between the'said two. portions in thelplane of their common boundary; andIan-Qattachment fitting adapted to be attachedat either side of the vehicle, the

rear portion' of the lamp being-inverted correspondingly-"and the front portion being "'centrated beam from the lens is adapted to adapted toremain the same away-11p.

2. In a 'lamp for vehicl'es,thef combination of a spherical lampl body comprising a front and a" rear portion; an electric "light globe carried {by said front portion elettrical connections leading-to f said front portion;

. means permitting a; relative rotation between thesaid two portions in the plane of their common boundary; and an attachment fitting adapted to be attached at either side i of the vehicle; thelrear portion of the lamp beinginve rted' correspondingly and the front portion being adapted to remain the same Way up.

3 In a lamp forvehicles the combination of a semi-spherical rear portion; an attachment fitting fixed to said rear portion; a semi-spherical front portion; a lens carried upon saidfront portion; flanges at the edges of each of said portions; and a ring inclosing the said flanges and permitting the said portions-to be rotated relatively one to the other. r

4:. In a lamp for vehicles the combination of. a' semi-spherical rear portion; an attachment fitting fixed to said rear portion; a semi-spherical front portion; a-Fresnel lens carried upon said front portion; flanges at the edges of each'of said portions; a ring inclosing the said flanges and permitting the said portions to be rotated relatively one to the other; a source of light disposed substantially in the center of the sphere; and a semi-spherical reflector formed by the inner surface of the rearportion of the said lamp body.

"5. In a lamp for-vehicles the combination ofa semi-spherical rear portion; a semlsaid ortions to be rotated relatively one to the 0 her; and an attachment-fitting fixed to ,"said rear-portion and adapted to be attached at either side of the vehicle and set at such an angle relatively to the body that the conextend from a direction pointing slightly inardly "to an-outward direction approximately at right angles-to the direction of travel.

6. In a lamp for vehicles the combination of a semi-spherical rear portion; a semi-.

spherical front portion; a Fresnel lens carried upon said front portion; flanges at the edges of each of said "portions;'a ring inclosing the said flanges and permitting the said portions to be" rotated relatively one to the other; an electric lamp bulb carried by said front portion and disposed substantially at the center of the lamp; 'a semispherical reflector formed by the inner surface of the said rear portion; and an attachment fitting fixed to said rear portion and adapted to be attached at either. side of the a vehicle and set atsnch an angle relatively to the body that the concentrated beam from the lens is adapted to extend from a direction pointing slightly inwardly to an out- Ward direction approximately at right angles to the direction of travel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my two subscribing Witnesses.

' THOMAS LEONARD GRIFFITHS.

=Witnesses: v HAROLD J. C. FORRESTER," lHERBERT J O. BARTON.

- name to this specification in the presence of 

